Ukrainian photographer Julia Kochetova wins World Press Photo 2024 in Open Format – photo

Ukrainian photographer Julia Kochetova has won World Press Photo 2024, the most prestigious award for photojournalists, with her project War Is Personal. The winners were announced on Thursday, 18 April. Earlier, Kochetova's multimedia project about the war in Ukraine was shortlisted in the Europe category.

Now it has been announced as the winner of the Open Format Award.

The War is Personal project consists of photographs taken by Kochetova in war-torn Ukraine, along with audio recordings, music and illustrations that complement the photos. "I know that this photo and our flag will go around the world. Summer 2022, the border of Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts, this checkpoint, and the urgent need to raise our flag...

There are no prizes in war. But I have been blessed with a clear sense that I am one of those who hold our flag. I will do it to the best of my ability.

Honour to those who were killed in battle, glory to the living heroes. I am grateful to those who have defended and continue to defend my right to life," Kochetova said in reaction to her victory.

Julia KochetovaPhoto: Julia Kochetova on Facebook on 24 February 2022

Who else won World Press Photo 2024? The jury recognised the work A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece by photographer Mohammad Salem as the Photo of the Year.

A Palestinian Woman Embraces the Body of Her Niece. Photo: Mohammad Salem

The Story of the Year is the Valim-babena project by photographer Lee-Ann Olwage, which tells the story of the tradition of adult children caring for dementia patients in Madagascar.

The Valim-babena projectPhoto: Lee-Ann Olwage

Alejandro Cegarra won the Long-Term Project of the Year with his series of photographs about migrants in Mexico, The Two Walls.

Alejandro Cegarra photographed migrants in Mexico.Photo: Alejandro Cegarra

About World Press Photo World Press Photo is a competition for all professional photographers working in the field of photojournalism or documentary photography. The winners are selected annually, first at the regional and then at the global level.

This year, 24 regional winners were announced on 3 April. Four global winners are selected from among them: World Press Photo of the Year, World Press Photo Story of the Year, World Press Photo Long-Term Project Award and World Press Photo Open Format Award. Last year's winner was Ukrainian photographer Evgeniy Maloletka.

He was recognised for his series of photographs The Siege of Mariupol. At first, his series was shortlisted in the Europe category, and then one of the images - from a Mariupol maternity hospital bombed by the Russians - was named Photo of the Year.

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